Ever since New York native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene throughout America. His quick wit, charisma, and ferociously aggressive style of comedy have earned him critical acclaim, accolades, and above all, a busy schedule. From being a regular on Fox’s MADtv, starring in feature films, appearing on a number of national talk shows, and continually touring the country where he continually sells out each and every city, Spears’ talents are widespread as he just passed 3 million spins on Pandora, and his podcast is one of the "Musts" in the U.S.

In 2023, Spears guest-starred in CNN’s See It Loud summer series on the history of Black Television, which was one of their hit docuseries of 2023, alongside Amanda Seales, Da’Vinchi, Debbie Allen, Deon Cole, Desus & Mero, Gabrielle Union, Jimmie Walker, Judge Greg Mathis, Kevin Frazier, Loni Love, Lynn Whitfield, Mo’Nique, Naturi Naughton, Omari Hardwick, Ray J, Ruben Studdard, Sherri Shepherd, Tatyana Ali, Tiffany Pollard, Tisha Campbell, Vivica A. Fox, and many more. Trailer: https://tinyurl.com/AriesCNNSeeItLoud

As a principal cast member on Fox’s hit sketch comedy show MADtv, Spears brought a fresh, hip style to the already-edgy program from the third through the tenth season. The producers made full use of many of Spears’ talents by calling on him frequently to create new hilarious characters and write sketches where he thrived for eight seasons.

Some of the many recurring characters that Spears is famous for on the show include Belma Buttons, Bill Cosby, Jesse Jackson, Mike Tyson, Walter (Crackheads), Reggie (Erascist), Dollar Bill Montgomery, Shaquille O'Neal, The Klumps, Michael Jackson, Sisqo, Evander Holyfield, El Diablo Negro and more. Spears also boasts many uproarious impersonations on the show that include James Brown, Al Pacino, and his childhood idol Eddie Murphy. The Spears-branded sketch “Talkin’ American” was MADtv’s most popular bit, keeping fans tuned in and boosting MAD’s ratings on Saturday night.

Spears has also found great success in the world of feature films. At the age of 17, after being spotted in a comedy club, Spears landed a part in the movie Home of Angels, which eventually led to a starring role alongside John Leguizamo in TriStar’s The Pest, followed by the notable role as Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s brother in Columbia’s blockbuster hit, Jerry Maguire.

Spears’ fierce momentum paved the way from feature films to tv and his eight seasons on MADtv. Spears continues to spread his comedic wings with the development of feature film projects—in addition to TV-which he is currently involved in writing. He is presently developing a feature project based on an original character that he created on MADtv, as well as a thriller about a young black man immersed in hip-hop culture. Additionally, Spears has made appearances on many talk shows, including Loveline, Vibe, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Soul Train, and Late Friday. He has also lent his voice to an animated character on C-Bear and Jamal and had a recurring stint on Fox’s The Best Damn Sports Show Period, where he created some of the show’s funniest characters during his short time there.

Spears maintains a strong connection to his African roots and is involved in many charitable events, including organizations that help abused women. He feels blessed to have been able to achieve everything that he has, but he in no way intends to stop there. Given the extremely high success rate of action comedies coming out of Hollywood, it’s safe to say that Aries Spears will be in demand for quite some time.

Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com